Coachella 2014: 28 arrested on first day of second weekend

INDIO >> A total of 28 people were arrested on the first day of the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

Most of those offenses were for drug and alcohol-related offense, said Ben Guitron, spokesman for Indio Police Department.

“Just looking at the volume of people that are attending the festival, we still think that it’s a pretty good number,” he said. “We wish we could say there was none, but it’s about choices and that’s the challenge we face.”

Of Friday’s 28 arrests, eight were for drug violations; either individuals under the influence or in possession, Guitron said.

The remaining 20 individuals were arrested for alcohol offenses such as having too much to drink or being underage, he added.

The Indio Police Department changed protocol this year regarding the release of information to the media due to some reporting inconsistencies last weekend, Guitron said.

For instance, last weekend it was being reported that one of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s kid had been arrested. That didn’t happen, Guitron said.

In the past, the police department provided three updates throughout the day on arrests or any activity. Rather than do the three updates throughout the day, Guitron said it would be “better to collect our thoughts, make sure we have the right information.”